UFC Previews: UFC 97 Preview & Predictions

Pro Fighting Fans is the home of UFC fans across the world and we now bring you the best place to find the latest UFC preview & predictions. UFC Fight Night 18 has come and gone and we take a look at what we learned in our UFC Fight Night 18 recap.

The next event for UFC will be UFC 97: Redemption, held on April 18, 2009, live on Pay Per View from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and our UFC 97 preview is posted below for UFC fans across the globe to enjoy. Also be sure to check out our popular "A Fans' View from his Couch" column where UFC fan Greg Vorse gives us his take on each major UFC fight, including UFC 97, 98, 99, 100 & more in the coming days and weeks and buy UFC tickets online here through Pro Fighting Fans!

For more UFC events to be held in 2009 and lists of which Mixed Martial Artists are schedule to fight, be sure to check out the future UFC event fight cards.

On April 18, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada the Middleweight belt is on the line as Anderson Silva will enter the octagon against a very confident challenger in Thales Leites. Chuck Liddell is also back after losing his last fight in dramatic fashion set to take on Brazilian, Maurcio “Shogun” Rua. The main card also features TUF 8 personality and Canadian, Krzysztof Soszynski taking on former United States Marine Brian Stann.

The undercard also has a “North of the Border” flare as 6 different fighters that call Canada home, are included. David “The Crow” Loiseau is set to make his return to the UFC, taking on Ed Herman. British Columbia native, Denis Kang, is seeking his first UFC win against French newcomer, Xavier Foupa-Pokam. Jason MacDonald, Sam Stout, Mark Bocek and submission specialist TJ Grant are also Canadians that will be featured in the UFCs’ return trip to Montreal.

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Sam Stout vs Matt Wiman

This lightweight fight looks very much like a “loser leave town” match. Both Sam Stout and Matt Wiman are coming into this fight losing their previous bouts. Stout was overwhelmed by an impressive Terry Etim at UFC 89 in October 2008 by unanimous decision. Wiman was also on the losing end of a unanimous decision, against Jim Miller at UFC Fight for the Troops in December 2008.

Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout is already a 6 fight veteran of the UFC, going 2-4 in three different stints with the organization. The Xtreme Couture fighter does however hold two impressive UFC victories. His first came in his promotional debut against a very tough Spencer Fisher. His second didn’t come until almost two years later at UFC 80 in January 2008 when he won a decision against Per Eklund.

Stout has also taken his lumps within the UFC. He struggled against the talented Brit- Terry Etim in his last fight, not able to match his aggressiveness. He also has fallen to Kenny Florian, at the TUF 3 finale, Spencer Fisher in their second meeting and Rich Clementi in a close split decision at UFC 83 in April 2008.

Matt “Handsome” Wiman is looking to get back to the form he showed before his most recent defeat at the hands of Jim Miller. Before his last loss, he won 4 UFC fights in a row. The wins were not against fighters at the top of the lightweight division but any win in the UFC is a good win. He knocked out Thiago Tavares and Brian Geraghty, submitted Justin Buchholz and earned a decision win over Japanese sensation Michihiro Omigawa during that period.

Wiman first showed up on the UFC radar when he compiled a 6-2 record in smaller organizations. He then took on Spencer Fisher on short notice at UFC 60. He was very competitive, almost submitting his opponent before finally getting knocked out with a flying knee from Fisher early in the 2 nd round.

Shortly after his UFC debut loss to Fisher, Wiman was selected to appear on the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter that featured lightweights. During that season he was coached by current lightweight champ BJ Penn. He made it to the quarterfinals when he was stopped but showed enough talent to secure a UFC contract himself.

It seems that the Canadian fighter, Stout struggles against aggressive strikers who are long, lanky and quick. Wiman is none of those things, at 5’10” and a compact 155 lbs.; he is not as quick as some of the other UFC lightweights. I like Stout to get back to his winning ways with a TKO win late in the fight. The kickboxing specialist will be too much for the wrestler in this classic matchup.

Prediction: Stout over Wiman via 3rd round TKO

Ryo Chonan vs TJ Grant

Ryo Chonan and TJ Grant are set to battle each other in this 170 lb. bout. Chonan will be starting his fourth UFC fight, going 1-2 in his previous fights with the organization. TJ Grant is a UFC freshman, but will be in familiar company near his hometown of Nova Scotia, Canada. Grant is 13-2 entering his debut fight with the UFC.

Ryo “Piranha” Chonan is 15-9 overall in his MMA career. He is no stranger to going the distance in his fights. Of his 15 career wins, 8 are decision wins. Also, of his 9 losses, 6 have come by a judge’s decision.

The “Piranha” is coming off an upset loss to Brad Blackburn at UFC 92 in December 2008 by unanimous decision. Before that, he knocked off Roan Carneiro in a close split decision win at UFC 88. His UFC debut was possibly his toughest task to date. He was matched up against the always tough Karo Parisyan. It did not go as planned however; he was defeated by way of unanimous decision in his welcome match.

TJ Grant comes into his debut a winner of his last 4 fights. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai specialist makes no secrets about what he likes to do in his fights. During his 4 fight win streak he has submitted all 4 opponents. His last fight was an armbar win over Beau Baker at a PFP event in November of 2008. He has also defeated UFC vets Forrest Petz and Chad Reiner during that time.

His submission ratio is incredible with 12 of his 13 wins coming by way of some type of submission. He also shows that he has good stand up defense, having never been knocked out in his 15 fights. He should also be comfortable, fighting in his home country 16 times throughout his career.

Grant will want to take this fight to the ground as fast as possible and Chonan wants to probably stand and trade strikes. It should be exciting for the hometown audience but it is really tough to predict how this fight will end. They have contrasting styles; with Chonan taking most of his fights to a decision and Grant finishing all but one of his fights. I am as interested as all the other fans to see what will happen with this intriguing match-up.

Prediction: Chonan over Grant via split decision

Mark Bocek vs David Bielkheden

Coming into this lightweight bout both the Canadian Mark Bocek and the Swedish fighter David Bielkheden are at the .500 mark in their UFC careers. Bocek is coming off an impressive stoppage of Alvin Robinson at UFC 91 in November 2008. He demonstrated some very technical submission skills and slipped a rear naked choke on Robinson to finish the fight late in the third round. Bielkheden is also coming into this fight after an impressive unanimous decision victory over Jess Liaudin almost 6 months ago at UFC 89.

Bocek has a well rounded skill set but specializes in submissions, which is likely, considering he trains out of American Top Team. He has 4 submissions out of 6 career victories. He has compiled a 6-2 overall record, going 2-2 in the UFC.

He has had somewhat of an up and down UFC career. His debut fight was a TKO loss against one of the divisions’ best, Frankie Edgar. He did bounce back at UFC 79 against another ground specialist in Doug Evans, earning a unanimous decision win. Since that time he has gone 1-1 with a loss to Mac Danzig and his win over Alvin Robinson, a little under 5 months ago.

David Bielkheden has taken a path quite similar to that of Mark Bocek. After building a 12-5 record outside of the UFC, fighting for organizations such as Pride, Shooto and Cage Rage, he was signed to add some depth to the UFC lightweight division. His first fight was against none other than Diego Sanchez at UFC 82 over a year ago. The Brazilian black belt showed his nerves and was easily submitted in the first round by Sanchez. Like Bocek, Bielkheden came back in his sophomore fight and got a much needed win against Jess Liaudin.

It’s evident that both fighters need this fight to continue their progress in the deep lightweight division. Both fighters are capable of handling themselves on the ground but I think that whoever establishes themselves in the striking department will edge out a hard fought win. Whether it will be the American Top Team member or the Brazilian Top Team product remains to be seen.

Prediction: Bielkheden over Bocek via unanimous decision

David Loiseau vs Ed Herman

This middleweight fight features two fighters that are heading in different directions in their careers. Ed Herman is coming off two consecutive losses in the UFC and literally fighting to stay in the organization. On the other hand David Loiseau is right in the middle of a comeback, winner of 3 straight fights and 4 of his last 5, all outside of the UFC.

Ed Herman is 14-7 overall but a sub-par 3-4 UFC record. He has seen some of the top middleweights in the world in his last two fights but will likely need some type of win to stay with the UFC. His latest defeat came by split decision to a surging Alan Belcher at Fight Night 15 over 6 ½ months ago. Before losing to Belcher, Demain Maia showed his world class jiu-jitsu to “Short Fuse”. It took Maia parts of 2 rounds to finish Herman. Herman also has UFC losses to Kendall Grove and Jason MacDonald, his first two fights with promotion.

“Short Fuse” is very capable of turning his UFC career around. He had a promising three fight win streak in 2007 with impressive stoppage wins over Joe Doerkson, Scott Smith and Chris Price. The former Ultimate Fighter 3 runner-up must get back to his wrestling background and try to reclaim his winning ways against the dangerous striker.

David Loiseau is back in the Ultimate Fighting Championship for the first time since 2006. The kickboxing and muay-thai specialist will be fighting in his hometown of Montreal with the momentum of a three fight win streak. Training with the world class trainer, Greg Jackson and friend/welterweight champ, Georges St. Pierre, Loiseau will be ready to make his UFC 97 a permanent move.

He has UFC wins over the likes of Mark Weir, Gideon Ray, Charles McCarthy and the late Evan Tanner. His promotional losses have come from some of the top MW fighters. Jorge Rivera won via unanimous decision at UFC 44, Rich Franklin won a tough 5 round decision for the belt at UFC 58 and Mike Swick sent “The Crow” off the roster at UFC 63 in September 2006.

I like “The Crow” using his superior striking in particular his trademark muay-thai elbows and knees against the Team Quest fighter. Herman will need to take Loiseau to the ground where he has the advantage (9 submission wins). As long as the fight stays on their feet, it should be in “The Crow’s” favor.

Prediction: Loiseau over Herman via 2nd round TKO

Jason MacDonald vs Nate Quarry

This preliminary fight features two aging middleweights trying to get back in the winning column. Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald (21-11) has compiled 5 UFC wins along with 4 losses. He presents problems for his opponent Nate “Rock” Quarry when ground fighting. Quarry (10-3) will be making his 8 th start, going 5-2 in his previous fights with the Zuffa owned company.

MacDonald, another Canadian born fighter, will have the familiarity aspect on his side. The 33 year old grappling specialist was born in Nova Scotia and trains out of Edmonton, Alberta. “The Athlete” is trying to forget his last fight, a submission loss to Wilson Gouveia (in his MW debut), when he was pounded out with elbows in the 1st round.

The Pro Camp trained fighter, will try and improve on his 17 submission victories when entering the octagon against the heavy handed puncher. He does hold UFC wins over such MW fighters as: Ed Herman, Chris Leben, Rory Singer, Joe Doerkson and Jason Lambert. His UFC losses have been to Rich Franklin, Yushin Okami, Demain Maia, and Gouveia.

Nate Quarry is an original Ultimate Fighter contestant who has been battling injuries his entire career. After winning his first fight in the first season of TUF, he had to bail out because of an injury, giving way for Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar to make MMA history. He also is getting back on track after 2006 back surgery that sidelined him for almost 2 years.

In his most recent UFC fight, Quarry was submitted via rear naked choke by middleweight title contender Demain Maia in the first round. His only other UFC loss, a UFC 68 loss to Rich Franklin, for the MW title, was a devastating KO punch that is seen repetitively on highlights.

“Rock” has enjoyed a great deal of success with his current promotion. His 5 UFC wins have been against some MMA vets including: Lodune Sincaid, Shonie Carter, Pete Sell (2), and Kalib Starnes. He held a 5-1 record before being selected to appear on the Spike TV hit.

I like the potential of this fight. MacDonald holds a distinct advantage if the fight goes to the canvas. Quarry has 6 TKO victories compared to MacDonald’s 3, he shall hold somewhat of the edge in the stand-up game. I don’t like the chances of this fight going the full 3 rounds, both fighters know how to finish fights.

Prediction: MacDonald over Quarry via 2nd round submission

Denis Kang vs Xavier Foupa-Pokam

A very intriguing match-up showcasing two of the UFC’s most promising Middleweight fighters, Denis Kang and Xavier Foupa-Pokam. Kang, a French-Korean fighter that will be the proverbial favorite, as the Canadian native seeks his first UFC win. Foupa-Pokam is a well rounded fighter that hails from Paris, France.

Denis Kang is entering his second UFC fight after losing in his rookie fight against a very tough Alan Belcher at UFC 93 in January. Kang was holding his own against Belcher until late in the second round when Belcher put a tight guillotine choke on Kang that he was unable to escape from.

The American Top Team member was riding a two fight win streak before the loss in January. He compiled an overall MMA record of 31-11-1 fighting for several different organizations such as Dream, Spirit MC, and Pride FC. His last win came at a Raw Combat event in his homeland against Marvin Eastman. He finished “Beastman” in 48 seconds via TKO. He also holds notable wins over credible fighters like UFC vet Akihiro Gono, Amar Suloev and Murilo “Ninja” Rua.

“Professor X” is a muay-thai expert from France that trains at his country’s top fight team, the Snake Team. The well rounded fighter has a career MMA record totaling 20-9. Of his wins, 11 have come from TKO, 7 submissions, and 1 by way of a decision.

The Cage Rage, DEEP, Jungle Fight and PFC veteran is currently riding a 7 fight win streak. His last fight against Kyacey Uscola was a 1 st round KO at Palace FC 12 in January 2009 that showed his impressive power. He also has earned wins over CR vet Alex Reid and Pierre Guillet. He has notable losses to UFC fighter Martin Kampmann, Murilo “Ninja” Rua, and Ryuta Sakurai.

I really like the signing of Xavier Foupa-Pokam but I don’t like this rookie fight. I think that he will be out of his element against Kang, no matter where the fight goes. He will eventually have to beat top fighters like Denis Kang, but I would have liked to see him fight a youngster first. Either way I’m glad both of these fighters have arrived in the UFC. Kang needs this win much more than “Professor X”.

Prediction: Kang over Foupa-Pokam via 2nd round TKO

> After the fights are complete fans can find the UFC 97 results here at Pro Fighting Fans as well as the UFC 98 fight card!

Eliot Marshall vs Vinicius Magalhaes

This Light-Heavyweight tussle features two TUF 8 alumni who are both trying to jumpstart their respective major league MMA careers. Eliot Marshall is a Jiu-Jitsu specialist who only has 7 fights under his belt and a 6-1 record. He does have 5 submission wins out of his 6 total. Vinicius Magalhaes is a Brazilian black belt in Jiu-Jitsu with a 2-3 overall MMA record.

Eliot “Fire” Marshall is known to overwhelm his opponents on the ground with his grappling skills. He will have a hard time doing that against a talented Magalhaes. In his only UFC fight, Marshall submitted an overmatched Jules Bruchez at the TUF 8 finale nearly 4 months ago.

The UFC sophomore came into the Ultimate Fighter house totaling a 5-1 record with the Colorado based Ring of Fire organization. He won his first 5 fights in the ROF, including a win over Strikeforce vet Mike Altman. His only loss came against three time UFC participant Rob MacDonald.

“Vinny” Magalhaes was a finalist on TUF 8, where he eventually lost to winner Ryan Bader via TKO. The Gracie Tijuca trained fighter has a decorated past as a BJJ Gi tournament winner as well as Pan-Am grappling champ. It is no secret what he would like to do to Marshall.

The 25 year old will need to use his size and strength on Marshall. He showed that he is capable of striking with heavy hitters, such as Ryan Bader. The Brazilian fighter also has fought for organizations such as Valor Fighting, MMax and GFC before being seen on TUF 8. Fighting for the smaller promotions, he compiled a 2-2 record.

I believe that Magalhaes’ 2-3 overall record is very deceiving. He has much polishing to do with his game but he has great potential. Eliot Marshall is more developed at this point in his young career and has the slight advantage as far as experience. With two young and talented fighters trying to make their mark on the LHW division, the chances of this fight going the distance are slim.

Prediction: Magalhaes over Marshall via 1st round KO

Steve Cantwell vs Luiz Cane

In the nights’ first main card fight, former WEC Light-Heavyweight champ Steve Cantwell will test his skills against the very dangerous Luiz “Banha” Cane. Cantwell is trying to improve on his UFC: Fight for the Troops debut in December when he submitted fellow newcomer Razak Al-Hassan. Cane will be looking to make it 3 UFC wins in a row, if he can get through Steve Cantwell.

Steve “The Robot” Cantwell is a 22 year-old heavy handed striker who has tallied a 7-1 MMA record. He is currently riding a 4 fight win streak, 3 of the 4 wins coming when in the WEC. He is well rounded, knocking out 3 of his opponents and submitting 4 others.

The Long Beach native, Cantwell, has impressive career wins against Brian Stann, Tim McKenzie, Justin McElfresh and Richie Hightower. Hightower was his first victory as a professional in 2005, at a Rage in the Cage event, where he submitted the former Ultimate Fighter contestant. His only loss was his first meeting with the former United States marine, Brian Stann. Cantwell showed his inexperience, suffering a TKO loss 41 seconds into the fight.

Luiz “Banha” Cane has been on a very impressive streak of his own, winning 2 in a row over some talented competition. He has a 9-1 overall record as a MMA fighter, 8 of his wins has come by either TKO or KO. He also has a submission win to his credit.

Cane recently knocked off Judo expert Sokoudjou via TKO at UFC 89 in October 2008. He also earned a TKO win over dangerous striker Jason Lambert at UFC 85. The only loss at this point in his career came when he was disqualified against James Irvin, due to an illegal knee at UFC 79 in a fight which he dominated as well.

Cantwell has done surprisingly well against tough stand up strikers like Luiz Cane. The problem is “Banha” is just as skilled on the ground, although he has not been able to demonstrate it on the big stage. I like Cane to hold the advantage in almost every area of this fight, including the most important area, his experience. “The Robot” will need to keep his distance against Cane and try to pick his spots to attack. If the fight goes to the clinch or on the ground, as it most likely will, I like Cane’s chances.

Prediction: Cane over Cantwell via 2nd round TKO

Cheick Kongo vs Antoni Hardonk

The only Heavyweight fight of the event matches Frenchman, Cheick Kongo and the Dutch kick boxer, Antoni Hardonk. Kongo now trains at the England based Wolfslair with Middleweight Micheal Bisping and LHW fighter Quinton Jackson. Hardonk trains out of Vos Gym in Holland with former UFC fighter Gilbert Yvel.

Cheick Kongo is very close to a number one contender match but must take care of the very dangerous striker first. Hardonk could easily have his stock rise with his 4th straight UFC win. In reality both fighters are very similar but neither fighter has a distinct advantage in any particular area.

Kongo is currently in the middle of a streak that has seen him win 2 in a row and 4 of his last 5. His latest bout saw him earn a TKO by dominating UFC newbie Mustapha Al-Turk at UFC 92 in December. He took 4:37 to earn the stoppage.

Overall, Kongo carries a 6-2 UFC record coming into this bout with Hardonk. He has also posted UFC wins over Dan Evenson, Asserio Silva, Christian Wellisch, the late Gilbert Aldana and MMA legend Mirko Filopivic. His two losses in the organization have come by split decision to Heath Herring at UFC 82 and Carmelo Marrero at UFC 64. Kongo also has lost to his opponents’ fellow countryman and teammate Gilbert Yvel, in an event outside of the UFC.

Antoni Hardonk had taken a path very similar to that of his UFC 97 opponent. Hardonk, who stands 6’4” and usually weighs in near 245 lbs has totaled 8 career wins and 4 losses. With his current employer a 4-2 record is quite impressive. More impressive is the fact that he has put together a string of 3 wins to get to this point.

A UFC 92 TKO win over UFC rookie Mike Wessel along with stoppages against Eddie Sanchez and Colin Robinson have given the Dutch fighter his current streak. He also has earned a UFC win against Sherman Pendergarst in his debut at UFC 65. His losses have come from current interim HW champ, Frank Mir and Justin McCully.

I think that both fighters are mirror images of each other in that they both have an accomplished background in kickboxing. They also seem to be very close as far as where they are in their UFC careers. I have also enjoyed the progress that each of these fighters have demonstrated in their last couple of fights.

Hardonk would have to have a slight advantage in the striking department, albeit a very small advantage. If the fight goes to the mat then Kongo would have to be the favorite. His wrestling and grappling has improved over the time he has been with the organization. One thing is for sure, the winner of this fight will jump to the head of the division and knocking on the door for a title shot.

Prediction: Kongo over Hardonk via split decision

Krzysztof Soszynski vs Brian Stann

A Light-Heavyweight battle featuring Krzysztof Soszynski and Brian Stann, who are trying to earn respectability in the toughest division in all of Mixed Martial Arts were placed on the main card for a reason. These two free-swingers will no doubt produce fireworks in a main card fight. Soszynski is trying for his second UFC win in as many attempts. Stann will be making his UFC debut against the Canadian fighter.

Krzysztof “The Polish Experiment” Soszynski was an easy winner in his promotional debut at The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale in December 2008. He dominated much of the first two rounds before an overmatched Shane Primm submitted via kimura 2:37 into the 2nd round. The submission victory over Primm was his 8th submission out of 16 career wins.

The Winnipeg native, 16-8-1 overall, is also looking to add onto his four fight win streak which includes 3 wins outside of the UFC. He is also an IFL veteran with wins over former UFC Heavyweight Dan Christianson and former K-1 fighter Tom Howard. As an IFL fighter, he also suffered losses against the likes of: Affliction fighter Ben Rothwell, and former UFC LHW’s Reese Andy and Mike Whitehead.

Brian “All-American” Stann is a former WEC LHW champion who has a bright future in MMA. Stann, who grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, was a cadet at the Naval Academy and eventually into the Marines where he served in the Iraq war. The 28 year-old also earned a medal for his heroic leadership while serving his country.

Stann was on a six fight win streak before fellow WEC Light-heavy Steve Cantwell ended his reign as the WEC champ with a 2nd round TKO loss. Before his loss to Cantwell, Stann ran through his opponents, 5 of which were WEC fights. He dominated Miguel Cosio, Steve Cantwell (first meeting), Craig Zellner, Jerimiah Billington and Doug Marshall to become the WEC champion. His WEC debut fight, a win over Cosio, was the fastest WEC win in history, taking only 16 seconds.

I like the nerve of the UFC, putting two future stars together early in their UFC careers. If the fight stays standing, I like “All-American” as the favorite. In contrast, if the fight goes to the ground then I think that the obvious advantage goes to “The Polish Experiment”.

Prediction: Stann over Soszynski via unanimous decision

Chuck Liddell vs Mauricio Rua

The Co-Main event between Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua could easily be a main event in any other card not featuring Anderson Silva. Liddell, 39, is now winding down on a hall of fame career but still believes that he has something to give to the UFC. Rua is still trying to prove that he is worth the lucrative contract that he signed when Pride was bought out by Zuffa, LLC.

The Iceman, a loser of 3 of his last 4 fights, has been mixing his training up by training with his longtime partner John Hackleman along with The American Top Team in Florida. He still has power in both of his hands, solid kickboxing skills and excellent takedown defense. The former LHW champion wants to make one last run at the belt that he held for such a long time.

The original Ultimate Fighter 1 coach is coming off a devastating loss to rising Light-Heavyweight champion Rashad Evans at UFC 88 last September. He also suffered losses to Keith Jardine (UFC 76) and Quinton Jackson (UFC 71) within the last two years. He will need to execute quicker, faster and stronger to beat a much younger Shogun Rua and stay in the UFC as a contender.

Mixed in with his last three losses, he had an impressive win against former Pride FC Middleweight champ- Wanderlei Silva. Liddell looked like the man that dominated the UFC for years as the LHW champion. He and Silva traded punches for 3 rounds when Liddell was awarded the unanimous decision victory at UFC 79 in December of 2007.

Liddell, 21-6 overall, has accumulated several wins over elite fighters in his 11-year MMA career. He has notable wins over Randy Couture (2), Tito Ortiz (2), Vitor Belfort and Renato “Babalu” Sobral. He became the UFC LHW champion with a UFC 52 KO win over Couture in 2006. He defended that belt for 4 fights covering a span of 2 years, when Quinton Jackson upset him at UFC 71.

Other than losing to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson 2 times, Liddell has only lost to 4 other fighters in his long and steady career. He lost early in his career to grappling specialist Jeremy Horn at UFC 19 in 1999. He also lost a tough 3 round TKO fight to Randy Couture at UFC 43 in 2003. Only Couture, Horn, Jackson as well as teammates Keith Jardine and Rashad Evans are able to say that they beat “The Iceman”.

Mauricio Rua has had a strong career as a mixed martial artist. Unfortunately many UFC fans have not been able to witness his talent. He was one of the top fighters on the deep Pride FC roster that was acquired by Zuffa, LLC. So far in his UFC career he only has a lackluster TKO win over Mark Coleman, in his last fight at UFC 93 in January of this year to show for it.

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt is a former Pride FC Middleweight Grand Prix winner. When fighting for the Japanese based promotion he used his aggressive muay-thai style to earn decisive wins over Quinton Jackson (TKO), Akihiro Gono (TKO) and twice over Alistair Overeem. He is 17-3 overall in his MMA career and 1-1 with his current fighting home.

His most recent loss was seen as a major upset in the MMA circles. Forrest Griffin dominated Rua for 3 rounds before finally submitting him late in the final round. The September 2007 UFC 76 loss was only his 3 rd of his 6 ½ year career. He also was defeated by Mark Coleman (TKO-broken arm) at a 2006 Pride FC event and Renato Sobral early in his tenure at an IFC event by way of submission.

Liddell will have to show that he is still capable of winning against elite fighters of Rua’s caliber. I believe he is more than a punching bag and can continue to be competitive in the best division in all of MMA. Rua had been battling injuries through his last 2 fights but should have no excuse when he faces Liddell in Montreal. Both fighters need the win but only one will leave the fight with their reputation in tact.

Prediction: Liddell over Rua via split decision

UFC 97 Main Event: Anderson Silva vs Thales Leites

Thales Leites will get his chance to knock off the Middleweight champion in this UFC 97 main event. Leites has earned his chance to fight the champ by winning 5 straight UFC fights. Anderson Silva continues to beat whoever is put in front of him. He has shown his versatility by jumping from Middleweight to Light Heavyweight in the middle of his title reign.

Anderson “The Spider” Silva continues to improve in each fight that he participates in. His mode of operation is his smooth muay-thai elbows, crushing knees and deadly clinches. He is 23-4 overall as a MMA fighter with 14 TKO/KO wins. He also has 4 submission wins and 5 wins via decisions.

His UFC run is quite impressive, being only the 3 rd UFC fighter to win 8 fights in a row. He came to the promotion after a successful career as the last Cage Rage MW champion and former Shooto MW champ. He showed up in June of 2006 and quickly knocked out a cocky Chris Leben. He hasn’t slowed down since that win.

After his debut win over Leben, he fought for the title against champion Rich Franklin. Silva dominated Franklin with body shots that earned him the KO win and Middleweight title belt. He has defended his title 4 times since that UFC 64 win. Nate Marquardt, Franklin again, Dan Henderson and Patrick Cote have all been unsuccessful in their bid to take the title from Silva.

Travis Lutter, who was to get his title shot after winning The Ultimate Fighter 4 season, missed weight and lost his chance to fight for the title. The fight still took place but he too was unsuccessful. The only other fight in that time came against Light Heavyweight- James Irvin at Fight Night 14 in July 2008. Silva showed he is capable of stepping up in weight and not losing any power. Irvin fell victim to Silva’s power with a KO win 1:01 into the fight.

Thales Leites, 14-1 overall and 5-1 UFC, is more than deserving to be next in line as the number one contender for the Middleweight belt. The Nova Uniao trained fighter is a 27 year-old Brazilian who has both heavy hands (2 TKO) and slick submissions (9 submissions). The Rio de Janeiro resident has the physical abilities to hang with the champion but it is unknown whether he will show the patience and mental skills needed to do what no other UFC fighter has been able to do.

Leites began his UFC career with his only career loss to the talented Dutch fighter, Martin Kampmann. Kampmann outscored Leites on the scorecards to earn the unanimous decision win in November 2006 at the TUF 4 finale. Since that loss however, Leites has not looked back. He earned victories over Pete Sell, Floyd Sword, Ryan Jensen, Nate Marquardt and most recently Drew McFedries at UFC 90 last October.

Leites has not been able to avoid all controversy that comes with fighting in the UFC. In his UFC 85 split decision win against Nate Marquardt, many thought that Leites had lost the fight. Marquardt was penalized on two separate occasions when he used a knee to a downed opponent and also grabbed the fence when fighting. Nonetheless, Leites officially was the winner and now gets his chance as the number one contender.

I think that Thales Leites is more than capable of beating the pound for pound champ but I’m just not sure it will happen in Montreal. Silva is not overmatched in any area of this fight. Leites is well rounded but not excellent in any specific area. I think that Leites has earned the chance but may not make it out of the first round like many other challengers.

Prediction: Silva over Leites via 1st round KO

Here is a look at the full fight card for UFC 97 in Montreal, Canada:

Preliminary UFC 97 Card:

• LW - Sam Stout vs. Matt Wiman
• WW- Ryo Chonan vs. TJ Grant
• LW- Mark Bocek vs. David Bielkheden
• MW- David Loiseau vs. Ed Herman
• MW- Jason MacDonald vs. Nate Quarry
• MW- Denis Kang vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam
• LHW- Eliot Marshall vs. Vinicius Magalhaes

Main UFC 97 Card:

• LHW- Steve Cantwell vs. Luiz Cane
• HW- Cheick Kongo vs. Antoni Hardonk
• LHW- Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brian Stann
• LHW- Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio Rua

Middleweight Championship Bout:

• MW- Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leites

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer